Graphic Admiration

Nerd moment: I love comic books and graphic novels. I tend to read collected volumes rather than single issue by issue because I prefer to read more at once, but the downside to that is having to wait longer before they become available from the publishers. Waiting can be so irritating sometimes, but I just have to deal.

I've always considered myself a Marvel girl, but I don't dislike DC. It's just that, besides Batman, I don't really pay too much attention to the main DC multiverse. For DC, I pay much more attention to Vertigo, which has their more mature, darker, more supernatural series and mini-series, like the beautiful piece of dark fantasy literature that is Neil Gaiman's Sandman (I have such a thing for Death, by the way -- so adorable!). Other great examples would be Arkam Asylum: A Serious House On A Serious Earth, V For Vendetta, Hellblazer, and Preacher. John Constantine, Hellblazer is amazingly and fascinatingly disturbing, particularly when written by Garth Ennis, at least, the talented writer also behind Preacher. Preacher is-- well, the only way to describe it is awesome and effed up. My favorite character, Cassidy, is a complete monster, but I still sympathize with him. Even villainous characters like Jody still have a lot of likeability.

Garth Ennis is also the genius behind my favorite issues of The Punisher. Now, I love a lot of Marvel characters, including Rogue, Nightcrawler, Iron Man, Daredevil, Spider-man, Doctor Doom, Deadpool, Wolverine, Captain America, Nick Fury, Blade, Beast, too many to count, honestly, but Frank Castle is my favorite. He's so dark, snarky, and sarcastic, and I enjoy the constant inner monologue. Sure, it's ultraviolent, but it's hilarious -- very Tarantino is that aspect, actually. The return of The Russian and his enormous breasts and Frank using Spider-man as a shield/weapon against him is one of the most hilarious things I've ever read. Ever. It's in the volume called Punisher: Army of One. I highly recommend it, although I'd suggest reading Welcome Back, Frank first.

There's a bunch of Dark Horse lines I like too, especially Hellboy and B.P.R.D. and Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and of course I enjoy The Walking Dead (Image Comics), which could -- and should -- take a post by itself, as should the greatest graphic novel of all time, Watchmen.

Just a general assertion, though: just because I've been gushing so much about fashion and beauty doesn't mean I'm not a complete and utter nerd. Because I totally am. Never forget it.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.